The British, U.S., and Australian embassies in Seoul on Wednesday denied claims by a lawmaker, reported by local media, that ambassadors from the Five Eyes countries would boycott the 2025 APEC summit if President Yoon Suk Yeol remains in office.
The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Kim Joon-hyung, a first-term lawmaker from the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, claimed during a National Assembly committee hearing that the five ambassadors gathered after the declaration was made on Dec. 6 and discussed boycotting the APEC event set to be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, next year, if Yoon keeps his job.
In response to The Korea Herald's inquiry about the matter, the UK embassy said, "The claims made in the story are inaccurate."
The embassy declined to comment on whether the ambassadors convened such a meeting.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul has denied claims made by Rep. Kim Joon-hyung about comments by U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg via X (formerly twitter), calling them "utterly false."
Similarly, the Australian Embassy in Seoul informed The Korea Herald that it does not disclose details about its ambassador’s schedule or discussions.
The embassy confirmed Australian officials attended the APEC Informal Senior Officials' Meeting and reiterated support for South Korea's APEC host year.
